Russia Soothes Lithuania With Vow Of Pullout

August 31, 1993|By New York Times News Service.

MOSCOW — After a brief dispute last week, Russia and Lithuania announced Monday that Russia would complete the withdrawal of its remaining 2,500 troops from the Baltic nation "in the nearest future," perhaps by Tuesday.

Lithuanian President Algirdas Brazauskas said in a national radio address that he had agreed in a telephone conversation with Russian President Boris Yeltsin to keep to the original schedule for withdrawal and to postpone negotiations on any compensation.

"During today's conversation with Boris Yeltsin, it was agreed that the Russian army will be withdrawn before the end of the month," Brazauskas said.

But Russian officials limited themselves to saying the withdrawal would be completed "in the nearest future." And a Russian-Lithuanian statement, distributed by the Russian Foreign Ministry, did not mention any dates.

Russia suspended talks and the pullout last week, saying Lith-uanian negotiators were demanding up to $146 billion in compensation for the period since Soviet annexation in 1940 until now. Russian officials said they also are victims of the past and don't want to set a compensation precedent.